October 2019 Index by The Haverford School Index

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The Haverford School · Haverford, PA 19041 · October 2019 · Volume 87, No. 2 · thsindex.org

New traditions brought into the fold MR. TOM STAMBAUGH

The Sixth Form rock-paper-scissors semi-final, September 5, 2019 Jeffrey Yang ’22

hether you find yourself turning over to a neighbor to throw out a rock, paper, or scissors; or walking past the flag hanging by the upper school office; or laughing at a friend, Mr. Fifer, Mr. Andrén, or yourself making weird faces to get an Oreo into your mouth, Wilson Hall’s community environment has clearly shifted this year. Some former school traditions, like Homecoming, have returned, and some

newer events, like football tailgates, are growing rapidly. These developments can be mainly attributed to the leaders of the student body—the Sixth Formers. Sixth Form leaders who met prior to the school year held a shared feeling that the community needed to be closer. “It was an idea that I campaigned with, but once I came into the year, every other senior and even the faculty agreed that we wanted to do stuff with the whole school,”

Sixth Form student body president Vincent Scauzzo said. “Right out of the gate, we wanted to get things like this going,” The faculty was excited that the Sixth Form was looking to lead the project of bringing the community together. “All the new events are a part of a larger initiative that the leaders are pushing to build more of a sense of community. Aside from the serious meetings, we need to find time to gather together, to have fun, and to

have common experiences that cement us together,” Head of Upper School Mr. Patrick Andrén said. Through the form competitions and allschool dance, Sixth Form leaders are working to establish cultures within each form and throughout the entire school. One of the main objectives is to have more upperclassmen engagement with the underclassmen. con’t on p. 18

EA moves cross country, golf, limiting fan support Aditya Sardesai ’20

r. Nagl belted out a deep groan of— as he put it—“dismay and enormous sadness” when asked about the change to this year’s EA Day schedule. This groan echoes along the halls of Wilson Hall, as students too are disappointed in the change to this year’s EA Day schedule. This year both the golf and cross-country teams will compete concurrently on the Saturday morning of EA Day. Last year cross country and golf competed on the Friday before EA Day, allowing more students to witness their classmates triumph on the track and the golf course. This successful change last year was a result of two external factors. First, Haverford did not have access to the cross-country course due to an NCAA event at Haverford College. Secondly, Gulph Mills Golf Club—logically and reasonably—decided it would rather have

Saturday for paying customers than a Friday afternoon because there is not as much demand for a round of golf. These fortunate conflicts led to what Dr. Nagl called “one of the best moments of my tenure as Headmaster: when A.J. walked into the lunchroom on Friday afternoon, and everybody stood up and chanted ‘A.J. Sanford!’” Having cross country on Friday, although not initially the school’s intent, was a good decision. An event typically attended by parents and Dr. Nagl on Saturday morning became a school-wide spectacle. Cross country became exciting. All three hundred Third, Fourth, and Fifth Formers huddled on the bleachers, belting songs and cheering on the runners. Once it became clear that the Fords con’t on p. 12

SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

Matej Sekulic ‘20 in a 12-5 win over EA, EA Day, November 10, 2018

Water polo sweeps state’s best at North Penn Jake LaRocca ’22

oming off a strong 2018 campaign (26-4 record), and with the 2019 water polo season underway, the coaching staff realized that the team had the potential to compete against much tougher

competition. The team entered into a tournament at North Penn High School on September 21. There, the team faced North con’t on p. 16

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COURTESY OF MONTCO PLANNING COMMISSION

Bon Air Fire Company, p. 8

Math Madness, p. 4

SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

Soccer Fords rebound, p. 17

YESHWIN SANKURATRI ’20

the index · editorial

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the index 2019–2020 Staff Yan Graf ’20 Editor-in-Chief Ryan LaRocca ’20 Editor-in-Chief Toby Ma ’20 Editor-in-Chief Daniel Chow ’20 Managing Editor Matthew Schwartz ’21 Managing Editor Tyler Zimmer ’21 Managing Editor Obaida Elamin ’20 Design Editor Quinn Luong ’22 News Editor

October 2019

editorial Community camaraderie

month into school, Haverford is the most unified it has been in recent years. As you traverse the halls, you can feel the camaraderie, the community, the brotherhood. In every form and as a community this feeling exists, and under this year’s Sixth Form leadership, you can be sure that it will continue. Form competitions—a splendid idea by President Scuazzo. Because of friendly competition between the Forms, there now exists a time during each student’s day where he can take a step back from the gravity of a single school week. For a short forty-minute

community block, the stress, anxiety, and the weight of life dissipates. Upon their return from this escape, rejuvenated students continue with their everyday lives. The Haverford community grows closer together. The tailgates have returned. On September’s warm Saturday mornings in the Red Lot, 30+ students eat an American feast before they head over to Sabol Field to support their boys. Win or lose, both the football team and the Haverford community becomes stronger each Saturday. Together we succeed, and together we also fail. And lastly, everything else — it would

be foolish to say that form competitions and tailgates are the only ways that Haverford has fostered a stronger camaraderie and community so far this year. Whether it is helping a peer with a homework assignment, or simply being a friend to whomever needs it, there are also many unseen examples of camaraderie in the community. We value the tone we have set through the first month of school. It is our responsibility—our duty—to continue to improve this community of brothers.

Jeffrey Yang ’22 News Editor Matt Mignucci ’20 Features Editor Agustin Aliaga ’21 Academics Editor Vincent Scauzzo ’20 Neighborhood Editor Cole Stecker ’20 Campus Opinions Editor Jon Krouse ’20 Off-Campus Opinions Editor James Wang ’21 Off-Campus Opinions Editor Jake LaRocca ’22 Sports Editor Mitav Nayak ’22 Sports Editor Ryan Rodack ’22 Arts Editor Sebastian Bilash ’20 Staff Photographer Ms. Emily Harnett Faculty Advisor Mr. Thomas Stambaugh Faculty Advisor

The Index is a student-run publication of the Haverford School that does more than bring news: it provides the diverse perspectives of the Haverford student body. It is an outlet for student writers to take stands on issues they deem important. It chronicles the daily struggles and accomplishments of the Haverford community. The Index also provides a forum for discussion of pertinent issues, such as student culture, academic policy, and Haverford’s place in world affairs. The Index presents new ideas and aspires to influence constructive change. All opinions and viewpoints expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of The Index or the school. The Index is designed and produced digitally. Photographs may be retouched. Submissions and letters to the editors regarding any and all articles are welcomed at index@haverford.org. The Index, a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, is composed using the applications of Google Suite and Adobe Creative Cloud. Its surveys are conducted via SurveyMonkey and are advertised on Facebook to current Haverford students. Graphic designs are created by Index staff via Canva. Southern Dutchess News prints 200-400 copies of each issue, and its editorial staff distributes them in the Upper School on the day of release. The Index serves the needs of a total school population of 1152 community members, consisting of 952 students and 200 faculty and staff members. Contact The Index: 450 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041 index@haverford.org Twitter: @Haverford_Index Volume LXXXVII, No. 2 - October 15, 2019

SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

The 2019-20 Editorial Board (left to right): Editor-in-Chief Ryan LaRocca ’20, Managing Editor Tyler Zimmer ’21, Editor-in-Chief Toby Ma ’20, Managing Editor Daniel Chow ’20, Editor-in-Chief Yan Graf ’20. Missing: Managing Editor Matthew Schwartz ’21 and Design Editor Obaida Elamin ’20

Letter from the student body president Vincent Scauzzo ’20

entlemen, It is a busy time of year. Sixth Formers are preparing their college applications for the early decision deadline. Athletics are right in the middle of their grind period before the championships. Lots of students are trying to recover from their summer reading grades. It’s busy, but it’s good busy. I would rather live like I do now— meeting deadlines and pressured by the College Board—than be bored. If I am not challenging myself in my classes or engaging with the school community, or even staying at home instead of socializing, then I am wasting my life away. I know it might seem daunting having so many things on your calendar, but you must remember that everything you are doing, you are doing for yourself, or at least that’s how it should be. You might think taking a class or doing community service “looks good on the transcript,” but you must remember that not everything revolves around where you spend the next chapter of your life. You should be part of organizations because you like them, and because you want the experience to last longer now,

MR. TOM STAMBAUGH

Student body president Vincent Scauzzo ’20 not for some reason down the road. Doing a GPA boost. community service should not be sacrificial So, as we enter what is to be a tumultuous work. It should be a personal passion of time of year, let me remind you to live in the trying to help others, while at the same time moment. Spend time doing what you love helping yourself. You should be taking a class and being around people you enjoy. because you like the material, not because it’s And EA must be defeated.

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October 2019

news Underclassmen respond to young activist’s climate plea Connor Pinsk ’23

reta Thunberg, a sixteen-year-old Swedish climate activist, recently spoke at a climate conference in New York City about what is happening to our earth. Her grim message was that it is past the point of return. Despite her age, Thunberg is inspiring people around the globe to stand up for climate change.

“For more than 30 years, the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue to look away and come here saying you’re doing enough?” Thunberg rebuked world leaders, saying to the U.N Climate Summit on September 23, 2019, “For more than 30 years, the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue to look away and come here saying that you’re doing enough?” Her message is reaching people in many different countries, but it is not reaching everyone. One Third Former had difficulty remembering who Thunberg was until he was reminded of the middle school diversity conference hosted at Haverford, during which Greta Thunberg was a major topic of conversation. Since then, he has not heard of any of Thunberg’s movements. Other students were familiar with Thun-

berg. “She has really been working hard considering she is a youth. I don’t think that age determines someone’s role. I think that if she wants to work hard and cares about what she is doing, it doesn’t matter what age she is,” said Third Former Love McCune. Third Form physics teacher Ms. Carol O’Brien was asked about Greta Thunberg. Ms. O’Brien was aware of Thunberg’s work—the climate meetings and her sail to come to New York City. She is happy with what Thunberg is doing but does not think that she will be able to alert everyone on her own. “I don’t think that it will be immediately effective. I think that what she does will alert more people to work with her so they can be effective,” said Ms. O’Brien. Third Former Joey Kauffman was also aware of Ms. Thunberg and what she has been doing as a young activist. “From what I have seen, her speeches are really moving people. She is adding the perspective of the younger generation, and I think she is making people wake up to the climate crisis. I think that her being young is part of who she is—if she was older it would have a different impact,” Kauffman said. Kauffman believes that what Ms. Thunberg has been working on making the world aware and that it is good that Thunberg is young.

ANDERS HELLBERG VIA WIKIMEDIA

Greta Thunberg in Stockholm, August 2018; her sign reads “school strike for climate”

Jewish Student Union rises as newest affinity group Ryan LaRocca ’20

ver the past two years, the school community has witnessed the introduction of three new affinity groups: the Pan-Asian Association, the GayStraight Alliance, and most recently, the Jewish Student Union. Along with the Black Student Union, these clubs comprise most of the school’s Diversity Alliance, headed by the school’s Diversity and Inclusion Director Mr. Brendon Jobs. The JSU, founded by Sixth Former Ethan Brodie, Fifth Former Matthew Schwartz, and Fourth Former Alexander Waldman last May, is the first religious affinity group to emerge recently in the Haverford community, marking a historic moment. Brodie said that the JSU’s establishment can be attributed to a similar affinity group at one of Haverford’s sister schools, The Agnes Irwin School.

“[M]y younger sister, who attends Agnes Irwin, told me about all of the great things that her school’s JSU has done in the middle school and upper school” “In the early part of last year, my younger sister, who attends Agnes Irwin, told me about all of the great things that her school’s JSU has done in the middle school and upper school,” Brodie said. At a meeting of the Poker Club, Brodie discussed the success of Agnes Irwin’s JSU with some of his Jewish clubmates, including Schwartz and Waldman. Inspired, they considered starting Haverford’s own Jewish con’t on p. 4

Ethan Brodie ‘20 prepares food for the Diversity Alliance leaders on September 29, 2019

COURTESY OF ETHAN BRODIE ’20

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SpeakUp! finds its voice Sebastian Bilash ’20

peakUp! is a program centered around developing conversation surrounding the topics most pressing in our daily lives. Headquartered in Wayne, the company strives to bring “youth, educators and parents together for open, honest conversations about tough topics.” These topics can vary greatly, as SpeakUp! works closely with each school and a student leadership team to develop topics surrounding whatever is deemed to be most critical to the student body.

Ideally, SpeakUp! will provide a platform for all grades to participate in honest, unfiltered conversation with one another, then go on to strengthen this often overlooked aspect of our school. This year AIS and Haverford have partnered to host a SpeakUp! event. Held at AIS, students will separate into breakout sessions and participate in student-led discussion on one of the six main topics. For example, last

year two of the central topics were “sex and relationships” and “drugs and alcohol.” Ideally, having the student leaders direct the conversation topics will be allow more personal discussion within the room. This aligns with the central goal of SpeakUp! A veteran of the program, Sixth Former Conor Wood said, “[SpeakUp!] manages to bring all grades of the school together while providing an open forum to talk about touchy subjects you wouldn’t be able to comfortably talk about normally.” Ideally, SpeakUp! will provide a platform for all grades to participate in honest, unfiltered conversation with one another, then go on to strengthen this often overlooked aspect of our school. By pushing forward the idea and making students more comfortable with open conversations, SpeakUp! could strengthen our community and student relationships. On October 23, SpeakUp! is poised to bring students together and try to make an honest difference across our community. Interested students can register online at speakup.org or reach out to Ms. Kenna for details.

October 2019

JSU, continued from the previous page Student Union. “We ultimately decided it would be beneficial to our school’s community to found the JSU. [Schwartz] and [Waldman] are two of my closest friends who are also Jewish, and I knew I could depend on them to help me start the JSU,” Brodie said. “We first brought the idea to Mr. Jobs in March of last year,” Brodie said. “After attending a few Diversity Alliance meetings and learning about our school’s affinity groups, we deemed that there was a place for JSU at Haverford.” Following a summer of planning, the JSU was ready to tackle the upcoming school year. And with the new year came goals. “Our primary goal in the first few months of this year is to really let people know we exist,” Brodie said. “The first few months of school also happen to coincide with the Jewish High Holidays—Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur—so it was important to get word out about the Jewish Student Union quickly. Our launching point was the clubs video.” “Once we gauge the community’s interest in our club through our first few meetings, we can move from there. If we don’t really elicit a lot of interest early on, we will have to work harder to put ourselves out there for the community. But if we do, we can delve right into promoting positivity about the Jewish

faith, specifically through in-depth discussions and planning events,” Brodie said. Although the JSU has yet to make any concrete plans, Brodie added, it does have an idea what will be one of its more fun and enjoyable events.

I have engaged in recent conversations with our school’s God-Club Leader and student council president Vincent Scuazzo about a potential JSU vs. God Club Dodgeball Game. “I have engaged in recent conversations with our school’s God Club leader and student council president Vincent Scuazzo about a potential JSU vs. God Club dodgeball game. We think it could be a fun way to bring the community together and demonstrate a unison among religions in our community,” Brodie said. Brodie mentioned the lack of prerequisites to attend a JSU meeting, emphasizing its desire to promote an inclusive atmosphere. “You don’t have to necessarily be Jewish to attend,” Brodie said. “If you want to learn more about the Jewish faith and like food, you are welcome to come to a meeting.”

Math Madness infects Inter-Ac, Fords ahead early Mitav Nayak ’22

t is Friday morning: 7:45 a.m. A group of students is gathered in a classroom. They gaze at computer screens intently, facing their challenge for this round. This is Math Madness, an online teambased math competition. Elementary, middle school, and high school teams compete in various leagues across the country, following a March Madness-style bracket tournament. The math version takes place in the fall. Based on a concept created by AreteLabs and supported by the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), Math Madness is now in its seventh season with more than 10,000 students across 600 schools vying for the top numbers. Upper school math teacher Mr. Nathan Bridge has championed the cause for this unique competition. Last year Mr. Bridge reached out to AreteLabs and convinced them to design a platform for the Inter-Ac and other local schools to compete in their own league. The league launched this year, and Mr. Bridge hopes new students will join. Math Club veterans have participated in competitions like these for years. This unique league brings a new challenge. Fourth Former Shibo Zhou enjoys the competitive challenge of the league.

“It challenges you to practice more after school on your own. That’s what I really love about it...You have a winner in the local league that advances to the state level, and then you eventually have a national championship.”

Cole Stecker ’20 working on some calculations

SEBASTIAN BILASH ‘20

“It challenges you to practice more after school on your own,” Zhou said. “That’s what I really love about it. You want to be better so you practice more. You have a winner in the local league that advances to the state level, and then you eventually have a national championship.”

Fifth Former Gary Gao is another strong member of the team. He first started participating in math competitions in fifth grade. Gao explained that most people do not study specifically for this competition, but rather rely on prior knowledge.

“I don’t prepare specifically for this competition. I know a lot of people don’t as well. I think it’s more intuitive or reactive, and based on the knowledge people have from previous classes like Algebra II and Geometry.” “I personally study competitional math outside of school, but I don’t prepare specifically for this competition,” Gao said. “I know a lot of people don’t [study] as well. I think it’s more intuitive or reactive, and based on the knowledge people have from previous classes like Algebra II and Geometry.” The Fords have won two of their matches convincingly up to this point. Fifth Former Nathan Tai and other math club veterans are confident about their chances. “I think we are really good,” Tai said. “Seriously, I know it’s still early in the season, but we’ve just crushed everyone so far,” “We have a strong team this year,” Gao said. “We have got way more new people coming to math club in the mornings, which is great.” On the day of the competition, students are tasked with challenging math problems that they attempt to complete in a given amount of time. “We get together every Friday morning in Mr. Bridge’s room,” Tai said. “We log in to the website, and there are problems which we try to solve within 30 minutes. Then, the top-five scores are added up.” “Usually there are eight problems posted,” Zhou said. “All of us try to solve them within 30 minutes. Few of us get seven or eight right—I think the average is four or five.”

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October 2019

features Games and grub: advisory life, Tuesdays at 9:50 Tyler Zimmer ’21

tudents choose their advisories for the remainder of high school after only a taste of the four-course meal of upper school life. Months into their high school experience, Third Formers indicate whom they want to lean on for the next three years—a daunting question. Third Form advisors like Mr. Andy Franz give students their first glimpse into advisory life. “It will always be their first upper school family,” Mr. Franz said. Fifth Form student Jonny Flieder chose his advisor, Ms. Smith-Kan. “She was someone that I felt comfortable talking to. She made it clear that she had my back.” Fourth Form student Will Ferris asked for language teacher Mr. Javier Lluch. “He was a cool guy that I wanted to be around. He was my former Latin teacher.”

Each advisory has its own tradition, some long-lasting and meaningful and some spontaneous. Members of an advisory, whether they like it or not, spend Tuesday community blocks together. Each advisory has its own tradition, some long-lasting and meaningful and some spontaneous. Most importantly, advisories are known for their competitive nature and love for food. The Franz advisory competes in Third Form competitions such as “dodgeball, smashball, cornhole, Trivial Pursuit, Uno, and many others. I know the boys really look forward to these events,” Mr. Franz said. First-year advisor Mr. Matt Ator looks to “build what I hope will turn into traditions in the future.” For now, his advisory time has been highlighted by kickball games and donuts. He and Mr. Sataloff compete to “get everyone more involved in the community.” “You get points for winning events like kickball, but you also get points for going to sporting events, choral concerts, plays, and so on,” Mr. Sataloff said. “So far, we suffered an embarrassing loss in kickball, but I have confidence that we’ll rebound in our next

The Stambaugh advisory won the Bocce duel, April 30, 2019, but lost to the Keefe advisory on October 8 contest.” The loser of these team-building competitions must buy pizza for the opposing side. These two are not the only competing advisories. Mr. Keefe and Mr. Stambaugh have a long-standing, decade-long tradition of competitive bocce. Fifth Form Keefe advisee Drew Loughnane said, “We compete twice a year. Once in the fall, once in the spring. The winner takes home a highly valuable silver cup and bragging rights for about half a year. We usually win.” Mr. Keefe described the prize as a “cup of greatness.” While competition can be an exciting break to a stressful Tuesday morning, adviso-

MR. TOM STAMBAUGH

ries cannot go wrong with a pre-lunch feast. Some keep it simple. “It’s been a lot of donuts for us,” Mr. Ator said. “Eight times out of ten its Dunkin’,” agreed Fifth Form Mr. Walters advisee Nolan Cooleen. “For us, it’s breakfast sandwiches. Everyone loves breakfast sandwiches,” Sixth Form Mr. Hightower advisee Ben Hokenson said. Others are elaborate. The Stambaugh advisory celebrates the “Cheeses of the World” festival every fall, tasting an assortment of gourmet cheeses alongside Martinelli’s sparkling cider and fresh grapes to cleanse the palette. Advisories highlight the uniqueness and

fun side of the Haverford community. Next Tuesday, when your advisory is wondering how to spend those precious minutes, think creatively.

Dr. Bridget Gurtler triathlons. She also enjoys spending time with her two children, running, staying in shape, and learning to fix old houses. While her time at Haverford has been short so far, she has thoroughly enjoyed it. “I think that the community here has

SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

Advisories highlight the uniqueness and fun side of the Haverford community. Spark a competition. Ignite a friendly rivalry. Indulge yourself with a feast. Make the most of your advisory time. And enjoy yourself.

Dr. Gurtler settles into second year of history Austin Zhuang ’22

orn in Kansas and raised in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, Dr. Bridget Gurtler teaches Ancient World History, U.S. History, History of Sports, and an Advanced Research class with Mr. Timothy Lengel this year. Dr. Gurtler holds a Bachelor’s degree from Wellesley, a Master’s from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and a doctorate from Rutgers. She has held numerous teaching jobs at the collegiate level. “I’ve always had a passion for history, and I love the art of research and of storytelling, so from a very early age I liked going to those museums that your parents would drag you to, and I enjoy going to public history sites,” Dr. Gurtler said. “Because of that, I knew I had the interest and that I loved to read, and then I was lucky enough to find good mentors in high school, college, and grad school that showed me that you learn something

most deeply when you’re teaching it.” When it comes to the classroom, Dr. Gurtler finds structuring a lesson satisfying: “I enjoy thinking about how to put a class together and an idea in a way that is accessible to lots of different sorts of people… thinking about how history can be useful and interesting to a lot of different audiences has been a big thread for me and it’s something I feel passionate about,” Dr. Gurtler said.

“I’ve always had a passion for history, and I love the art of research and of storytelling” Beyond her educational and teaching backgrounds, Dr. Gurtler has an ever-changing field of hobbies. She enjoys participating in sports, and she participated in numerous

been incredibly welcoming to someone who’s new to independent school teaching,” Dr. Gurtler said. “They’ve really been wonderful in showing me the ropes.”

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Rockstars Dylan DiNubile and Antonio Octaviano Matt Mignucci ’20

n every Haverford School corner, talent exists. Sixth Form guitar enthusiasts Dylan DiNubile and Antonio Octaviano are just two exemplars of Haverford’s talent. DiNubile has played the guitar since third grade, when he was eight-years old. He became a serious musician around the seventh grade. Octaviano, although he just started playing last year, has picked up guitar skills fast. Their shared hobby began on an ordinary day at DiNubile’s house, when Octaviano came over and started playing around with a guitar. He plucked and strummed and that was it. He continued to mess around with the guitar and eventually, with some mentoring from DiNubile and dedication of his own, learned how to play.

“Music is one of my escapes from swimming. It is one of the things I did for fun and then started loving it.”

COURTESY OF DYLAN DINUBILE ’20

Octaviano (left) and DiNubile (right) in a late-night jam session

They began to play during free periods, on the weekends, and even shared their work on social media. The duo’s strong dynamic is evident whenever they play. As Octaviano plays some of the base chords and progressions, DiNubile plays some catchy melodies over top. DiNubile knows some editing and recording programs that allow him to play around with the songs after they’re done recording.

October 2019

A word from the Honor Council Matt Mignucci ’20

n recent years, many students had little idea what was going on within its student-run judicial system, the Honor Council.

The Honor Council plans to begin writing monthly updates on the cases encountered. To help inform students, the Honor Council plans to begin writing monthly updates on the cases encountered. This year, the group hopes to establish a stronger relationship with the community and be more transparent. Every month, a different member of the Honor Council will write an article to give multiple perspectives on how the community is at Haverford, what we are doing well, and what we could do better. The Honor Council has not had one case yet this year. The Honor Council plans multiple Sometimes, they will expand their band and invite other musicians to rehearse with them. For example, pianist Lleyton Winslow has been featured on some of their work. Both agree that their favorite song to play is “Freaking Out the Neighborhood” because it was the first song they learned. Music has played a huge role in both

opportunities to engage with the community. This monthly update article is only one way we are doing that; others are through different community events such as joint lunches with the Character Mentorship Program (CMP), and monthly town halls and dialogues during Community periods. Town halls and dialogues will be monthly events in which Honor Council representatives lead open conversations with representatives with the community. The Honor Council encourages each student to consider how he can make Haverford a more compassionate community. Before every weekly Honor Council meeting, the group takes 10-15 minutes to reflect on different aspects of our community, such as what students are doing right, what students can do better, and how can students make a difference. If everyone keeps these ideas in mind, the Honor Council hopes, Haverford can foster a stronger community. students’ lives. “Music means a lot to me because it brings people together,” DiNubile said. “I love the freedom of guitar because I can control everything about how I play.” Octaviano said, “Music is one of my escapes from swimming. It is one of the things I did for fun and then started loving it.”

Mr. Woodward takes the spotlight Cole Stecker ’20

hree times each year the theater department’s faculty and staff come together with student actors to craft vivid performances. Haverford’s plays are well known for their intricate scenes, lighting, and sound design. All of these aspects are managed by the stage crew, and organized by the Technical Director of Centennial Hall. Following the departure of Mr. William Bryant, Mr. Dex Woodward has now joined the school community, serving as the new Production Manager/Technical Director of Centennial Hall. He is responsible for designing the sets, finding suitable lighting for each scene, and selecting interesting music and sound effects to complement the actors on stage. Mr. Woodward is also responsible for maintaining Centennial Hall and preparing it for all kinds of events, from school assemblies to religious gatherings. Mr. Woodward stumbled upon his passion by sheer coincidence. During middle school, his computer teacher identified him as someone who might have a talent for running the light console for the school’s drama department. He was drawn to it not only by light design, but also by his interests in prop construction, rigging, crafting costumes, and working with professional theater companies. Seeing an opportunity to turn his favorite activity into a career, Mr. Woodward went to Emerson College, where he received a BFA in theater design and technology. Outside of the theater, Mr. Woodward enjoys learning new things, and he admits that this is the reason he often drops and picks up new hobbies. He enjoys tinkering with computers and network devices, cycling, cooking, and ice skating. Inside school he is passionate about his work and is interested in seemingly impossible challenges. Since the beginning of school Mr. Woodward and the stage crew

Mr. Dex Woodward have already reorganized the scene shop and the catwalk. Mr. Woodward believes that organization is key to a great performance, and his organizational efforts should make

SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

the technical aspects of stage direction easier for years to come. When students are next watching a school play or musical, they should remember that

people like Mr. Woodward are working rigorously behind the scenes.

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October 2019

academics Learning amid campus construction Vincent Scauzzo ’20

ll of a sudden, the top of Wilson Hall is not the highest point on campus. Behind it looms a massive yellow crane, acting as a sundial to count down the days until the new middle school is completed. Our inner nine-year old loves the idea of having construction on campus. Still, teachers feared that the constant movement outside their windows would be distracting. The school knew noise could be an issue, but as of right now, there isn’t too much disruption. As though it were Christmas every day, the lure of heavy-duty machinery has worn off after a month. But whenever a new stage of the project begins, such as the addition of I-beams a couple of weeks ago, teachers will find students with their noses pressed against the glass.

Whenever a new stage of the project begins, such as the addition of I-beams a couple of weeks ago, teachers will find students with their noses pressed against the glass. For all those out there who want to be civil engineers, this proximity to a major job site is a dream come true, and Haverford has pounced on this learning opportunity. The administration had the design company, Adams Bickel, build an observation deck to look over the fence and have the construction managers teach students about different parts of the process. One ongoing question is how the middle school will function in the Virtue Village. Students have a moderate commute to Centennial Hall: sometimes students will come to their first-period classes fifteen minutes late from choir. Whereas the residents of

Crosman Hall used to be able to enter the cafeteria without going outside, now they have the longest walk of any on campus. However, as English teacher Mr. Mark McConnon said, it provides fewer opportunities for him to fill up on cookies. A blessing in disguise, then. Besides these concerns, there is only high praise for the temporary learning center. Throughout the campus, people are noticing an overall greater feeling of love and joy, and the middle school is no exception. They have created Festive Fridays—casual Fridays or a themed day to make the year special. “We have never seen a happier group of kids or faculty,” Middle School Dean of Students Ms. Tracy Nelson said. “Perhaps it is the brightness of the rooms or the excitement of going into a new building next year, but I think it is the shared unique experience of having to work through compromises that brings the people of the Middle School together. “ Still, some things are hard to work around. History teacher Mr. John Suter said his space provides him with opportunities to try different seating arrangements and be more engaged with the class. Mr. McConnon likes his classroom, but then again, he could teach in a tin can if he had to. Science teacher Mr. Mario Masso said that the lack of proper lab equipment—sinks, the full array of beakers and test tubes—means he has to change his curriculum a little bit, but he sees using upper school equipment as a possibility. It seems the middle schoolers are fitting in well at their temporary home. Come winter, the weather might be a challenge with the longer walk from drop-off and art classes. But judging by the high levels of happiness and compassion seen in Virtue Village, students and faculty should get by just fine. TOBY MA ’20

The middle school under construction

Third Formers transition into new schedule

Student looking over his scheduele

SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

Joey KauffMan ’23

uring the beginning of this school year, Third Formers have had to adapt to the Upper School schedule, a task more difficult for some than others. Many Third Formers have already experienced a similar schedule in the Middle School, easing their transition to Wilson

Hall. When the middle school and upper school designed their schedules, they took into consideration the experience of Third Formers moving from the now-demolished Crosman Hall to Wilson. “The eighth-grade teachers wanted to

make sure you guys were aware of what you’re getting into in high school,” Head of Middle School Dr. Jay Greytok said. In turn, middle and upper school schedules were designed with a similar structure. “We really didn’t use a block system in our prior schedule,” Dr. Greytok said. “Last year we made sure to have those blocks readily available so you can see A, B, C, D, E, F, and that helps with the transition from middle school to upper school because they use a block system in the upper school,” Dr. Greytok said. The fact that the divisions’ schedules have similar aspects, such as a seven-day rotation, the block system, and longer periods, has helped Third Formers with their transition to Wilson Hall. “[Before], the schedule was always jumping around, so I think [the new middle school schedule] correlates well to the current schedule this year,” Third Former Owen Yu said. “I feel like I’m used to the schedule, so I get it and know how it works,” said Third Former Zach Shah, who attended Haverford in middle school.

Still, many Third Formers didn’t have the chance to experience a similar schedule in middle school, as there are thirty-one new students in the incoming class. These students are coming from many different types of schools and will have to adapt to a new schedule. “In the beginning, it was a little confusing, but after I got the hang of it, it wasn’t that bad,” said new Third Former Megh Tank, who had a fixed two-day schedule at Quakertown last year. Although Third Formers have had varying degrees of difficulty adapting to Haverford’s schedule, the consensus on the Upper School schedule among Third Formers is positive.

“I learn more and it’s not rushed like it was at my old school.” New Third Former Lucio Acchione said, “I like [the schedule] way better here. I feel like I learn more and it’s not rushed like it was at my old school.”

the index · neighborhood

Page 8

October 2019

neighborhood Lower Merion breaks ground on new middle school Matthew Schwartz ’21

averford is not the only educational institution with a soon-to-be-built, brand new middle school. Due to their gradual enrollment increase in lower grades, Lower Merion School District has begun plans to build a new middle school, set to open in September of 2022. After some backlash from local conservationists over the use of a public garden at Stoneleigh for the new athletic fields, the district was forced to look elsewhere. Unfortunately, after finally settling on a new location, the district learned that Villanova University had entered into an agreement with the homeowners to purchase their land. This forced the district, after “unsuccessfully negotiating with the property owners for an amicable purchase,” to invoke eminent domain in order to secure the property. The new middle school will be located at 1860 Montgomery Ave. in Villanova, while additional athletic fields will be located at 1835 County Line Road and 1800 W. Montgomery Ave.

This new middle school would be somewhat similar to common California-style campuses, featuring an open gathering space called “The Heart” as well as a green courtyard with many classrooms opening onto it. According to an update published on the LMSD website, “This new school will alleviate crowding at the six existing elementary schools and two existing middle schools by moving fifth-graders out of the elementary schools and distributing the middle school population among three schools instead of

The site of the future Lower Merion Middle School two.” different grades’ learning communities could Although the change from a sixth through take place on separate floors or separate parts eighth elementary school to fifth through of floors.” eighth might seem drastic, as pointed out by In a similar style to Welsh Valley MidLMSD Director of School & Community dle School, another middle school of the Relations, Amy Buckman, “Locally, both LMSD, this new school would be somewhat Upper Merion and Tredyffrin-Easttown similar to common California-style campushave 5–8 middle schools,” and that, “The es, featuring an open gathering space called new school design features ‘Learning Com- “The Heart” as well as a green courtyard with munities’ on different floors. This makes it many classrooms opening onto it. The initial so that the curriculum and programming of architects’ presentation, which has since un-

RYAN LAROCCA ’20

dergone a few improvements, can be viewed on the LMSD website. Students attending Penn Wynne and Gladwyne will be affected, as students attending the two schools will be moved from their current middle schools to the new one. The current plan is to transition students to the new middle school starting with only fith and sixth grade in 2022-2023, and eventually filling all four grades by the 2024-2025 school year.

Trouble in the Bon Air Fire Company Evan Brabson ’20

averford Township commissioners shut down one of its fire companies following news of one fireman’s ties to an extremist group. The Bon Air Fire Company was shut down indefinitely on August 22 following a unanimous vote by township commissioners. The fireman,

Bruce McClay, Jr., tried to join the Proud Boys organization, which promotes violent and discriminatory actions. The fire company received an anonymous tip in mid-August linking McClay to the Proud Boys. McClay tried to resign amid an investigation into the situation, but Bon

A Bon Air truck in the 2012 PA Firemen’s Parade

Air’s board refused to accept his resignation, arguing that he moved away from the organization once learning of its violent intents. However, McClay completed two of the four steps of initiation, with committing an act of violence being the fourth step. The township commissioners voted

COURTESY OF MONTCO PLANNING COMMISSION

unanimously to temporarily close the fire company until the situation was resolved. History department chair Ms. Hannah Turlish, who is currently running for the Ward 7 Commissioner seat in Haverford Township, said, “I was extremely pleased that it was a 9-0 decision to shut down firehouse.” Turlish adds that the fire company should have accepted McClay’s resignation, which would have caused far less drama. The central issue in this case involves the First Amendment, which grants freedom of speech and other related rights to all Americans. Under the First Amendment, McClay is allowed to join any organization he desires. However, there are certain circumstances where the First Amendment rights are restricted. One of these restrictions applies to federal employees, including public school teachers, police officers, and firefighters. These federal employees must serve everyone equally, and cannot express discrimination. By joining a discriminatory group, the Haverford Township commissioners felt McClay could no longer perform his job effectively. Ms. Turlish said, “Firefighters are held to a higher standard. He would have been fine at any other job, but because he is a firefighter, there are consequences.” After the company shut down, Bon Air’s board decided to accept McClay’s resignation. Shortly thereafter, the company reopened.

the index · campus opinions

Page 9

October 2019

campus opinions New arts requirement grandfathered in Quinn Luong ’22

efore the incoming class of 2023 Third Formers arrived, the upper school required only one full art credit in order to graduate. Now the minimum requirement for incoming freshman to graduate is two full credits in fine arts courses and or “fine arts credit activities.” Because of the pressure-filled college-admission process, the school is grandfathering in this minimum requirement for art credits. If you are not aware already, students can gain two full credits through satisfactory completion of two-year-long visual art,

music or theater courses, two years of choir, string orchestra, or jazz ensemble, or as an actor or crew member in a total of four of the school’s theatre productions. The new arts requirement is gradually being grandfathered in, and at the same time, stirring some controversy over the necessity of these art credits. In addition, it is questionable if incoming freshmen, some of whom desire to take two language courses, will still be able to balance their school life. As a Third Former, I was one of the few members of my class to take two language

courses, while also participating in glee club and jazz ensemble. It was difficult to utilize my time management and maintain my academics at the same time. Incoming Third Formers will have the same problems. With the addition of two sport credits and now two art credits, students who wish to take two languages will most likely find it more difficult to deal with the amount of stress and time-consuming work it takes. Many students share the same passion for learning languages and unfortunately, the new schedule will become a barrier for fu-

ture students. Thankfully, Mr. Stephen Cloran and other faculty are assisting the incoming Third Formers with seminars directed to helping them with their time management and life skills. These seminars are especially important because they teach students ways to maintain an academic and social life, which is substantially more difficult when enrolled in two languages.

I hope future students will still be able to experience the joy of language and culture. From my experience so far, taking two languages is an extremely rewarding path. I hope future students will still be able to experience the joy of language and culture. Members of the Class of 2023’s enrollment in two languages after their first year will provide an early indicator of how much this new initiative restricts those who wish to take two languages.

Perspective: everybody’s getting colds Jonny Sonnenfeld ’20

Thomas Laporta ’20 sneezing on “The Street”

SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

ow hard is it to wash your hands or cough into your sleeve? Not hard, right? As we all witnessed the first few weeks of school, apparently it is extremely hard. We all came into school healthy, refreshed by the summer sunshine. Within days, however, the entire school was coughing, sneezing and blowing their noses. It was chaos. In almost every class, I saw many absences due to illnesses in those first weeks. It is truly amazing how one person’s sickness can spread so quickly through our entire school’s community. Honestly, it’s not surprising. How many times have you gone to take a drink of water at one of the water fountains and found yourself staring face to face, mere inches away from someone’s thick freshly hacked spit. It is disgusting. Every time I drink from one of our water fountains I hesi-

tate and consider the risk. I consider what horrible ailment may befall me before I sip from the fountain. As I walk down the hallways in times of mass sickness, it is like I am in the movie Dodgeball, relearning the five d’s of dodgeball: dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge. I do everything I can to stay away from the dozens of wide-open mouths coughing their lungs out straight at me, nothing between me and the impending ordeal of the common cold. Then I wake up one day, and despite my best efforts I am now one of those kids coughing into the face of the healthy. The next time you find yourself fitting the description of one of these unsanitary infectees, do us all a favor and don’t be patient zero. Just stay home.

Pockets of resistance to new General Issue gear Yan Graf ’20

very year the controversy of the new “General Issue” rips through the Haverford community, causing fierce divisions. Rifts open up in the student body, as those who support or oppose the changes to the General Issue air their opinions in contentious debates. This year appears to be no different. In fact, this year the General Issue discussion may be more intense than ever. The inclusion of a crewneck sweatshirt has elicited especially vociferous debate. For the first

time in five years, the sweatshirts came with no hoods, but are still incompatible with the dress code. Some students are strongly in support of the new sweatshirts. Sixth Former Toby Ma says, “The new crewneck sweatshirts are more stylish. I like them.” The opposition to this design choice is just as strong. Fifth Former Matthew Schwartz disagrees, saying, “I definitely prefer hoodies, especially for the pockets. However, I would be fine with the new sweatshirts if they could

be worn in school.” Personally, I think that the crewnecks are the classier, better choice. Hoodies sometimes look a tad too casual, and the crewnecks are a bit more comfortable than the hoodies. Another major issue for students is the lack of a long-sleeve shirt. Many, like Daniel Chow, find the lack of this article to be of concern. “The long-sleeve is especially necon’t on p. 16

SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

Yan Graf showing his hoodless hoodie

the ind

Page 10 & 11

Application to art school: the portfolio process Toby Ma ’20

ummer has fallen to autumn, and with it comes the season of college applications. For Sixth Formers, these months might be the most stressful of the year, with college essays to complete, teacher recommendations to request, and first-quarter grades to maintain. Few would call it an appealing way to start one’s last year of school. For Sixth Former Noah Rubien, who is one of the students this year applying to art school, his application is something significantly more intriguing and creative. Unlike other colleges, art schools require a portfolio of ten to twenty pieces of the student’s artwork in addition to other application necessities. “[E]veryone else is writing their supplementary essays and caring about their grades and GPA and standardized testing,” Rubien said. “A lot of that’s secondary to me, because the main focus is my portfolio.”

“Colleges look at your portfolio first, and then they’ll see all that other stuff. If your portfolio doesn’t cut it, then all the other stuff doesn’t really matter.”

“What do my hands say” oil on canvas

“Weybosset St.” charcoal on 18x24’’

“Resting Nude” charcoal on 30 x 40’’

OBAIDA ELAMIN ’20

NOAH RUBIEN ’20

“Colleges look at your portfolio first, and then they’ll see all that other stuff. If your portfolio doesn’t cut it, then all the other stuff doesn’t really matter,” Rubien said. Unlike other Sixth Formers, Rubien doesn’t have to worry about supplemental essays, because most art schools, like the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), don’t require them. Instead, most of Rubien’s focus has been on his art portfolio, which requires a lot of effort to impress admissions. “There are some schools out there that will admit students without a portfolio review, or without submitting a portfolio, but the majority of art schools are going to be looking at the portfolio, which is a pretty extensive project for the student to do,” Director of College Counseling Mr. Neal Cousins said. “[A] lot of time has to go into making the pieces,” Rubien said. “If you want to go to art school, you have to know a little bit in advance before you decide to apply… because you have to get this whole portfolio ready.” Art Department Chair Mr. Christopher Fox agrees with the importance of beginning work on the portfolio early. He said, “Very often my advice is: ‘If you think art school’s even an option, you need

to get started on that application right away.” Mr. Fox said, “At the last minute, you can push the submit button and send your grades and SAT scores to any liberal arts college, but at the last minute, you can’t decide, ‘Ooh, I’m going to whip together 20 of my best artworks for a portfolio.’” The portfolio takes “about two years at Haverford,” according to Mr. Fox. “[T]hat’s when [we art teachers] start thinking about at the junior and senior level classes—we all designed class projects that we know as teachers are going to demonstrate the certain skills that should you be applying to an art school,” Mr. Fox said. “So, that’s why we call the top-level class ‘portfolio,’ meaning you’ve actually got a body of work that is impressive, shows off skills, [and] shows off your own concepts.” Most art schools don’t have requirements for the pieces in an applicant’s portfolio, just general guidelines. “They want to see your technical skill, and they also want to see your creative skill and your problem-solving skills,” Rubien said. Some of the things that Rubien is preparing for his portfolio include a self-portrait made from “different materials like cardboard and paint, and squares of charcoal,” as well as an animation of one of his drawings. Rubien often has to work outside of the Haverford art curriculum, because “[the schools] don’t want to see just technical pieces you do in class; you got to do stuff outside of school so they can see your interests and what materials you like to use, what kind of subject matter you like to use, what’s going on in your head—that kind of stuff,” Rubien said. If one’s portfolio is good enough, Rubien says, one can be directly accepted by a school, similar to athletic recruiting. “[If ] you have a really good portfolio early on and you go to one of those portfolio reviews…[the schools will] just accept you and be like, ‘As long as you have these scores, just submit your portfolio and you’re in,’” Rubien said. Some schools also have specific art prompts that applicants will also have to complete; for example, RISD offers a different problem every year. “For a while it was a bicycle,” Rubien said. “You just had to draw a bike. I’m sure after years they got every single iteration of a bike they possibly could see. “[T]his year, they really upped the ante, because they were like, ‘Pick a natural phenomenon or object and create a visual reaction to it and then create an alteration to the visual reaction at any scale possible.’ It’s

NOAH RUBIEN ’20

dex · arts absurd. It’s really hard, but they just want to see how you problem solve and respond to a challenge. That’s what they’re looking for.” Another difference between applying to art schools and regular universities, according to Rubien, is that there are fewer options. While there are many universities and colleges for the regular applicant to choose from, with many different variations of academics, student culture, athletics, and research and job opportunities, “there are only a couple art schools.” “[Art schools] vary in their location, their size and rigor, what they offer—if they’re going to take you on a curriculum or you get to choose your own curriculum—stuff like that,” Rubien said. “They differ, but there’s really not too many, so you don’t have to look very far. “Unlike its depictions in popular culture, art school is not just making art or drawing or painting or making sculpture,” Mr. Fox said. “Generally, an art school curriculum involves three studio classes and two academic classes,” Mr. Fox said. “So if you were a painting major, you would be taking painting and drawing classes. If you were a design major, you’d be doing different kinds of studio classes, and your academics would relate to studio work that you’re doing.” “If you’re in an industrial design or architecture program, you’ll be taking calculus that’s appropriate for that work,” Mr. Fox said. “You’ll be taking materials science where you’re learning about wood and steel and concrete and how those things behave.” Mr. Fox also points out that the academic requirements for art school are more intensive than a regular university. “There are more credits usually involved in a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree than in a regular bachelors degree from a liberal arts college,” Mr. Fox said. “You can tell the good art schools—the ones where stuff is really happening—if you go into the studios and you look in the racks where people keep their paintings and you see sleeping bags because people…work all night, crash, get up in time to go to class.” Historically, very few Haverford students have applied to art school. According to Mr. Cousins, the number is around “one or two kids a year.” Mr. Fox said that “Haverford’s not necessarily the pipeline into art programs directly—some people take the circuitous route to get to art or design or architecture or filmmaking or all of those creative professions. “Art school, even the thought of going to art school sometimes from a place like Haverford, seems incongruous. There’s a lot of social expectations of the kinds of schools you go to. And art school isn’t always one of those,” Mr. Fox said. According to Mr. Fox, most Haverford students who became artists didn’t initially

October 2019 attend an art school. “Sometimes I’ll get an email saying, “Oh, I took a painting class,’” Mr. Fox said, “and I’ll hear from them again, saying, ‘Oh, I’ve changed my major,’ and then, “Oh, do you want to come to my senior show, I’m now exhibiting.’

“I don’t really push art school as the thing you have to do. I think if you’re interested, you should apply…Nothing says you have to go if you get in, but it might be nice to have a choice.” “And that’s fine by me. If you’re not sure, and then when you get away from art, you realize that’s really the thing that makes you happy and you come back to it that way— fine. I don’t really push art school as the thing you have to do. I think if you’re interested, you should apply…Nothing says you have to go if you get in, but it might be nice to have a choice.” “Art school isn’t really for everybody,” Mr. Fox said. “You really need to be passionate about the work, it really needs to mean something to you…There are guys who from Haverford go directly to art school. There are guys who just realize, ‘This is what makes me happy. I don’t mind working all night on a painting or drawing—it’s satisfying.’” Rubien was set on attending art school in the summer before his junior year, when he attended the RISD Pre-College program. “I did the RISD pre-college program, and I just really liked it,” Rubien said, “and I don’t particularly enjoy school. Why would I want to do four more years of someone talking to me if I don’t like it? But I really like making art.” “I also like seeing my growth as an artist,” Rubien said. “Before entering the pre-college program… I was pretty unsure, because everyone was better than me. At the end, I really improved, and I actually saw my improvement.” Rubien’s passion for art comes from his satisfaction from completing a creative work entirely on his own. “[I]f I put in the effort on a piece, it always comes out the way I wanted to. If I put effort in, I’m rewarded for that effort. Almost always. A lot of pieces I start off hating, and then I just put in a ton of effort into it, and then I end up liking it.” Rubien pointed to one of his paintings, a still life, that was on an easel nearby. “Like this piece,” he said, “for about a month, I hated this. It was terrible. I absolutely despised it and I hated working on it. But then, after a while, I kept putting in the work and now I really like it.”

“I’m a Big Boy Now” charcoal over 9 pieces of 18x24’’

NOAH RUBIEN ’20

“A Pondering Platypus” oil on canvas

“Chair: Into the Chairderverse” acrylic on 18x24’’ illustration board

NOAH RUBIEN ’20

Page 12

the index · campus opinions

October 2019

Technology use varies in Wilson Hall classrooms Chris Tsetsekos ’20

echnology has the power to drastically boost efficiency in the classrooms. A teacher today can calculate a student’s grade much faster than a teacher could in the past. Collaboration is as easy as sharing a Google Doc with a classmate. Above all, technology enables us to learn much more than previous generations due to an increase in efficiency. However, with all of this great potential for education, some students have been reluctant to embrace technology in the classroom. “What was wrong with the old SmartBoards?” and “Can’t we just do this assignment with paper and pencil?” are common sentiments heard in the past year or so. It seems like the student body is not content with the recent technological upgrades. Are

we ungrateful for the new technology our school has invested in for us? I don’t think so. Perhaps we are caught in the rocky introductory years of developing technology. Eventually, schools will discover the best ways to incorporate technology. While some teachers are enthusiastic about technology in the classroom, others seem to be on the other side of the spectrum. For the most part, teachers lack uniformity in their use of technology. While some teachers update their Canvas pages daily with class notes, presentations, and other resources, other teachers only use Canvas to post grades. Further, some teachers require students to upload their online homework on the cloud while other teachers require homework to be handed in physically.

Indeed, different classes require different amounts of technology. For example, technology can be especially useful in English or history classes where students may type notes much faster than they could by hand.

Students are greatly appreciative of the resources with which the school has given them to learn. However, when it comes to a mathematics class, many believe that writing out math problems by hand on paper is the most effective way to learn. Sixth Former Connor Brala said, “Technology is very helpful to a learning environ-

ment only when used in an efficient manner… in many cases, though, such as the use of OneNote, it only creates more steps to be performed.” It seems that most students greatly appreciate the potential for learning that technology has created. The lack of enthusiasm for technology may arise from the lack of consistency among teachers’ use of technology in the classroom. Eventually, teachers will figure out what works and does not in terms of technology use in the classroom. Whether that be ten weeks or ten years from now, it is certain that students are greatly appreciative of the resources with which the school has given them to learn.

EA, continued from the front page took this first conquest by a single point, students rushed the field to surround the team in support, admiration, and glee in the greatest start to EA Day in recent history. So, why the change? “We were not consulted on that [the EA Day schedule],” said Athletic Director and football coach Mr. Michael Murphy. “It is their home day, and so they get to make that decision.” “They told us how it was going to be. Similar to how we told them last year [about the change in schedule],” Dr. Nagl said. The change Dr. Nagl hypothesizes likely came from them “wanting to have a day to focus on the boys and a day to focus on the girls.” Coach Murphy echoed this hypothesis saying, “The girls have their AIS/EA day on Friday and they want to keep their days separate.” Although cross country typically races Saturday morning, it is unusual to have golf compete concurrently. Dr. Nagl said, “Recently golf has been on Friday.” This change left some, including Sixth Form golf captain Charlie Baker, curious. This adds to a stream of curiosities surrounding golf on EA Day. During the 2017 EA Day, a decision was made to include the JV golfers into the competition, costing Haverford a win in the event. Typically, golf, like soccer, football, and water polo, is restricted to varsity athletes only. A Haverford golf win would have resulted in an overall tie and the retention of the sweater in the warm halls of Haverford.

The change, in the eyes of many, does not come from a wish to separate the days, but rather from EA not wanting lots of Haverford support during golf. The change, in the eyes of many, does not come from a wish to separate the days, but rather from EA not wanting lots of Haverford support during golf. “The vast majority of spectators [are] parents and Haverford students,” Baker said. This was the result of seniors having the privilege to watch their fellow classmates compete on Friday. The

SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

Upperclassmen at EA day last year large amount of spectators at gold was a, “privilege for golfers, because on no other day are there fans out [on the course] watching you,” Baker said. “In my opinion, EA changed [golf ] to Saturday as an attempt to decrease Haverford student attendees.” Baker brings up an interesting point, changing the timing of events significantly decreases the number of Haverford students able to attend these events. Perhaps, the sudden change to the schedule is EA’s attempt at neutralizing Haverford’s greatest asset on EA Day: the student fan section. Dr. Nagl said that this “may be true.”

Whether or not this was EA’s primary intent, the end result is the same: fewer Haverford students watching their brethren triumph on the golf course and on the cross country course. EA wants to keep Haverford/EA and AIS/ EA day separate. They do not wish to face the Fords on Friday—but face us they shall. If EA wants a day to focus on their girls, we too can take that day to focus on our friends at AIS. The fans must make their voice heard on Friday supporting our sister on the cross country course, tennis court, soccer field, and field hockey field.

Perhaps, more importantly, we cannot allow the change of schedule to hinder the force of the fan section on Saturday morning. We must arrive in droves on Saturday morning to Aronimink Golf Club and on EA’s campus to support our cross country and golf brothers. The goal should be to recreate the scene during last year’s cross country race this year on EA’s campus. Attendance at these events cannot waiver as a result of the schedule changes because as our illustrious President so eloquently declares, “EA. Must. Be. Defeated.”

Page 13

the index · off-campus opinions

October 2019

off-campus opinions Sixth Formers will vote in coming election Agustin Aliaga ’21

ince the midterm elections in 2018, youth political activism has surged, ranging from the late-September climate change marches all the way to higher projected voting participation among new voters. The Atlantic, citing a Harvard study, found that 40% of eligible voters between the ages of 18-29 expressed that they were going to vote. This comes as a huge surprise, considering that this biannual Harvard study has only seen this number go over 20% twice since 1986. Looking forward to the next opportunity in which students could vote, the same Harvard study found that there was a seven-percent increase in interest for voting in party primaries since the last equivalent vote took place in 2015. However, this trend can be inconsistent. When looking to find out how this pattern plays out, Haverford’s upperclassmen are a perfect example. Service Learning Director and organizer of the currently active voter registration program, Ms. Jini Loos explained that last year alone, 96 students registered through The Service Board’s program in addition to twelve that registered on their own—totaling a number not far from the Class of 2019’s population. “I think that providing voter registration,” said Ms. Loos, “has made students more aware that they are now eligible to have a

voice.” She explains that students seem more encouraged “to start paying better attention to how what is happening now will actually affect the world they are inheriting.” While Sixth Former Yeshwin Sankuratri has not noticed a significant spike in political activity, he sees it as a necessity to vote. “I think it’s a fundamental right every American citizen has the opportunity to exercise,” Sankuratri said.

“Voting ties together our democracy and unites every American citizen, regardless of his or her culture or values.” “I believe [voting] is a fundamental responsibility of being a citizen and an important duty for all Americans,” Sixth Former Yan Graf said. “I have definitely seen an increase in the interest in politics from the last election, with some even going to political rallies when held nearby.” With increasing controversy in the political world, students have begun to realize the impact of the young vote in a democratic system. Sankuratri said, “Voting ties together our democracy and unites every American citizen, regardless of his or her culture or values, by giving the people a voice.”

A Sixth Former's voter registration application

SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

Jon Krouse ’20

un control has always been a highly debated topic throughout the history of the United States, and now, new regulations regarding this topic may soon be put in place. The White House will meet to discuss new laws for gun control, prompting a difficult decision for President Trump. Staying consistent with his Republican views, he has been known to support gun rights. However, with the numerous mass shootings, uncertainty in Trump’s stance has increased. He is apparently still a strong believer in the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms, but he is considering a plan that would make it harder for people to obtain guns, such as the expansion of background checks. The White House proposed an app connected to the National Instant Criminal Background Checks that would identify anyone who should not be allowed to acquire

Trump should take more action on gun control a gun, prohibiting them from purchase. Many voters believe that these regulations are steps in the right direction. New Jersey and other liberal states have already attempted to expand background checks and restrict gun flow. Some still believe this is not enough. For example, in reference to potential new regulations, Representative Mike Thompson of California, Chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, said, “If it’s short of universal

background checks, it doesn’t solve the problem.” While I agree with Congressman Thompson about this pressing issue, I believe that there needs to be even more gun control regulations. Although background checks prevent many dangerous people from obtaining guns, it does not solve the problem of gun violence and mass shootings. While I am a strong believer in the Constitution, I am not a strong believer in

Students protesting for gun control legislation in St. Paul, Minnesota on March 7, 2018

FIBONACCI BLUE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

the Second Amendment. Since I do not see any positives, only negatives, for owning guns, I consider this amendment to be detrimental to thousands of Americans. I understand that people could still obtain weapons from arms dealers or the black market, yet completely outlawing guns would certainly reduce the violence.

This conversation was supposed to occur several weeks ago, but no new regulations have been put in place. I hope that there are more steps in the future about gun prevention than just background checks, but I think that this is too radical of a change for it to happen soon. This has been demonstrated by the White House’s consistent delaying of the meeting. This conversation was supposed to occur several weeks ago, but no new regulations have been put in place. The longer this meeting is delayed, the less likely the background checks are put into action.

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the index · off-campus opinions

Autoworkers’ union goes on strike at General Motors Matt Mignucci ’20

ast month, General Motors and the United Auto Workers failed to reach an agreement on a new union contract. Consequently, at midnight on September 15, 2019, over 50,000 GM workers went on strike until they agree on terms with the UAW. This is the first strike against GM in the past twelve years. The union workers were unhappy with the terms of their previous contract, and, after some negotiation efforts, they were unable to come to an agreement with GM. The workers were requesting higher pay for incoming workers, a faster path to reach $30

an hour, and for GM to invest in factories that are not producing anything.

This strike will hit hard for GM. They are projected to lose approximately $50 million. This strike will hit hard for GM. They are projected to lose approximately $90 million for every day that they are out of operation. GM has released statements of their counteroffers to the union and believes that

there is a lack of cooperation on the union’s part. According to the company, they offered the UAW improved wages, benefits, and increased jobs, and also an $8,000 signing bonus per member if they ratified the deal. They also offered to invest $7 billion into manufacturing new vehicles and electric-car batteries in underutilized or non-functioning factories, which would create approximately 5,400 new jobs. It seems like the core dispute concerns healthcare. The UAW were demanding more health benefits to employees, while GM was firm on keeping the benefits as they were.

October 2019 It does not seem like either side is willing to give up more ground than they already have, so I do not expect an agreement to arise anytime soon. These major strikes will probably depress the economy in areas where GM and manufacturing in general provide employment. Manufacturing cities in states like Ohio and Michigan will be heavily affected by this, as will America as a whole.

The duration and hostility of this strike...could change the relationships between unions and companies in the future. Since the strike began, GM stock has dropped 6% and the company has lost a tremendous amount of money. This is significant for the business world but also the world of unions. The duration and hostility of this strike is something that we haven’t seen in a while and could change the relationships between unions and companies in the future. Depending on how, when, or if this strike ends, its impact will be unprecedented for this generation.

Kethan Srinivasan ’21

his past month testifies to the power of high school students and climate change activism. This topic has become crucial, albeit controversial, for both students and politicians. On Friday, September 20, we witnessed one of the largest odes to climate activism in the past few years. In a worldwide effort, millions of people, old and young, demonstrated the commitment needed to tackle climate change during the global “Fridays for Future” Climate Strike. This movement, spearheaded by hundreds of youth activists in an effort to call out government and business inaction on climate change, has received worldwide attention. According to activists, attendance numbers reached as high as four million. The global strike coincided with the occurrence of the United Nations Climate Action Summit on September 23, where countries were supposed to ramp up their ambitions to curb greenhouse gases. Sixteen-year-old Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg received worldwide attention for skipping school on a Friday to protest in front of Swedish Parliament alone. In an interview with the British Channel 4 News, she said, “This could only be a fantasy. I would never have predicted or believed that this was going to happen some day, and so fast, only a few months.” The effect was massive. On the day of

We should listen to young climate activists the strike, numerous worldwide cities were rife with marches, including Philadelphia. Protests across capital cities in Europe had the most shocking spectacles, particularly in Berlin, where activists staged a scene: standing on blocks of ice, waiting for the noose around their necks tied to to the gallows to tighten. The effects of the protests were apparent even during the UN Climate Action Summit the following week, with world leaders Narendra Modi, Angela Merkel, Jacinda Ardern, and even Pope Francis all chiming in agreement for a collective effort to take care of the planet. At the summit, Thunberg made an impassioned speech blazing with contempt, aiming directly at idle world leaders. “This is all wrong. I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean,” Thunberg said. “Yet you all come to us young people for hope? How dare you!”

“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words, and yet I’m one of the lucky ones,” Thunberg said. “People are suffering, people are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth…how dare you!” However, there were drawbacks. In Philadelphia, the city’s public school district met criticism for choosing to label students attending the protests as “absent” instead of excusing them. Beyond the widely used criticisms of “students should stay in school,” various commentators have fired shots at Thunberg, the spearhead of climate change activism. Various figures have dismissed the protests and labeled Thunberg negatively. She has been called mentally ill (she is diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome), hysterical, and a victim of her parents’ abuse. Leaders

China and U.S. trade tensions roil markets James Wang ’21

he ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China has consisted of a series of tariffs and trade barriers. The goal has been to force China to make changes to what the U.S. claims to be unfair trade practices, such as trade deficits, theft of intellectual property, and forced transfer of American technology to China. President Trump, a long-time proponent of addressing U.S. trade deficits, made dealing with China a large part of his campaign and has advocated for tariffs and promoting domestic manufacturing. While some economists and politicians

argue that the United States’ persistent trade deficit is problematic, many economists argue that it is not a problem. Few advocate tariffs as a solution, citing historical evidence that escalating tariff conflicts results in no winners. The trade war creates difficulties for farmers and manufacturers. The trade war has been criticized internationally; in the U.S., businesses and agricultural organizations have been critical, though most farmers continue to support Trump. The European economy, especially Germany, as well as the Canadian economy, are especially vulnerable

when facing the many negative effects of the trade war. Like the U.S., Britain, Japan, and South Korea are all showing a “weak manufacturing performance” in 2019. Globally, foreign direct investment has slowed. Even among U.S. politicians, the response to the trade war has been mixed. Overall the trade war has significantly deteriorated the relations between the U.S. and China. But how does the trade war affect student families? For one, the trade war has caused uncertainty in the stock market. On August 14, 2019, the Dow dropped 800 points, partly caused by increasing trade

such as Vladimir Putin and even Donald Trump have made critical remarks.

Various figures have dismissed the protests and labeled Thunberg negatively. She has been called mentally ill (she is diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome), hysterical, and a victim of her parents’ abuse. Are we to expect that with all the strikes, clashes, and name-calling, it is possible to create momentum in the fight for the Earth? It is possible, albeit the time it will take is uncertain. Climate change skepticism still exists, and the fight may remain stagnant until today’s youth hit the polls. tensions between the U.S. and China. Nine days later, on August 23, the Dow dropped 223 points in five minutes after Trump “ordered” American companies to immediately seek alternatives to doing business in China; and the Dow went down 623 points for the day. There has also been an increase in the price of some items, including non-durable items like food and clothing, and durable items like cars and electronics, though the increase has been sharper for nondurable items.

There has also been an increase in the price of some items, including nondurable items like food and clothing, and durable items like cars and electronics. Analysts also speculate that the trade war will affect Trump’s reelection because of the negative impact the trade war has had on farmers, which are a big group of voters for Trump.

the index · sports

Page 15

October 2019

sports Golfers chase Malvern and Episcopal Jake Maddaloni ’21

he Fords rolled into the 2019 school year with high hopes of repeating their 2018 Inter-Ac victory. During the regular season, Haverford takes part in six Inter-Ac matches against the other five schools in the Inter-Ac. Each team hosts one tournament at their home course. The Fords have a fresh lineup this year, adding six new players to their eight-man roster: three seniors, four juniors, and one sophomore. With upperclassmen representing seven out of their eight players, the Fords have lots of experience under their belt. The Fords experienced success early by firing a 182 in their Inter-Ac debut at a challenging Merion West. Leading the Fords was Fifth Former Tyler Zimmer’s 33, two under par. Three other players came in with 38 or better. The Fords found the same success at Bluestone Country Club, a short and narrow course. The team managed to average a 38, counting their top five scores. The Fords beat their nearest competitors by twenty strokes in only their first two matches. Even though Haverford dominated in their first two matches, Malvern and Episcopal came out strong for the next two. The Fords fell short in the Huntington Valley and Waynesborough matches. Zimmer is using these losses as motivation for next week’s match.

“Golf is a mental game, and it’s easy to give up on yourself. I can only keep them on the right track and motivate them to practice and perform.” “Episcopal and Malvern have put up a great fight,” Zimmer said. “Some of their top players are stepping up. I know that we are the better team skill-wise, but we have to

Charlie Baker ’20 putting at EA Day, November, 2018 keep our heads down and grind it out for the Inter-Ac golf season. He believes the Fords next several weeks.” still have something to prove and are far Zimmer is not taking these losses light- from done. heartedly. He knows the team has talent, “Our goal is to win the two remaining and expects them to win. Zimmer is making Inter-Ac tournaments. I will do everything sure he will be at peak performance for next I can do to hold down my end, but school week’s match. golf is a team sport. I’m confident each of “I’ll personally be hitting the range and the top-eight players can post solid numbers. short-game area every moment I can, mak- Now it’s just about executing.” ing sure my game is in good enough shape Sixth Former and Captain Alec Stern said, that I’m confident. Confidence is everything “I need the players to keep their heads in the in golf,” Zimmer said. game. Golf is a mental game, and it’s easy to Zimmer has confidence in himself and give up on yourself. I can only keep them on in his teammates for the remainder of the the right track and motivate them to practice

SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

and perform.” Performing is just what the Fords plan to do. With two more Inter-Ac matches, States, and EA Day remaining, the Fords look to prove a point to the other Inter-Ac schools. Stern has full confidence in his team. “I think we can win the rest of our matches, and each person is capable of reaching their personal goals,” Stern said. “If we just continue to grind out this final month and work hard, then both will be fine.”

Revamped weight room Ryan Rodack ’22

“I

really believe we have the best weight room in the area now,” Strength and Conditioning coach Mr. Matthew Rosko said. “The Work Room,” located on the first floor of the field house, is used by all physi-

cal education classes, sports teams, and afterschool workout groups. A modernization of the weight room was necessary to provide student-athletes with a larger and more advanced space. The first steps of the renovation involved

tearing down the wall that connected the adjacent office space to the weight room. Removing this wall allowed the weight room extension of an additional five square yards. A new floor was installed where the office space used to be.

“It’s the best equipment, it’s the best layout, and I love what got done and what we were able to do.”

“The Work Room” after new renovations

SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

“That was a big disaster in the beginning because they laid the wrong floor, but once we got that fixed, it all looked as good as it could be,” Coach Rosko said. Although this may not seem like a lot of extra space, it is a vital extension that allows more racks and people to fit in the room. “We went from only being able to do thirty to thirty-five [people] to sixty or sixtyfive. Realistically, I could probably get eighty in the weight room and still get a good, organized workout going,” Coach Rosko said. The extended space also allows Coach Rosko to train entire teams in the winter

when the outdoor facilities may not be available due to snow or low temperatures. Coach Rosko made sure to order the topof-the-line equipment from the company Sorinex. “They are just doing it better than anybody else right now with their modular racks. They are in a lot of the big schools like Tennessee, Oregon, and Penn State,” Coach Rosko said. The maroon and gold customization with the Haverford logo on many of the racks, weights, and plates adds to the style of the equipment. Additional sets of dumbells and racks allow more athletes to work at the same time. Lastly, the three TVs and iPads spread out among the weight room enable coaches to display exercise tutorials so that everyone in the room understands the correct form.

“There is no excuse not to come to the Work Room.” “It’s the best equipment, it’s the best layout, and I love what got done and what we were able to do,” Coach Rosko said. “There is no excuse not to come to the Work Room.”

the index · sports

Page 16

October 2019

Cross country off to fast start Evan Brabson ’20

he Fords cross-country team has started the season with a bang. They have already competed in all regular season meets, finishing 3-1 in Inter-Ac competitions. The team now has several weeks to prepare for the championship season, which includes Inter-Ac Championships, State Championships (PAISSA), and, of course, EA Day. Following a solid victory over Penn Charter and Malvern Prep in the first meet of the year, the Fords raced in the Briarwood Invitational Meet at the Belmont Plateau. They finished sixth overall in a crowded field that included multiple teams across the region. Notable performances by Sixth Former Vincent Scauzzo (25th place) and Fifth Former A.J. Sanford ’21 (8th place) in the smallschools varsity event propelled the team to its position.

“We still have a lot of grinding left in the season to get the results we want” After a planned easy day at the Episcopal Academy meet resulted in a loss, the Fords handily defeated Malvern Prep and Germantown Academy at Malvern. Just a few days later, the team attended the Westtown School Invitational meet. The Fords performed well in the intense heat, which was compounded by a general lack of shade along the course. Varsity finished second overall, with Fourth Former Ned Cutler finishing fourteenth, Fourth Former Jeffrey Yang coming in thirteenth, and Fifth Former A.J. Sanford snatching third

Cross country top three pull away from EA place. The JV won first place in its event, to take workouts more seriously. cemented by Fifth Former Maxim Kreider Sixth Form co-captain Vincent Scauztaking third place, Fifth Former Ryan Ngo zo said, “A few guys on the team are doing finishing in second, and Third Former Char- morning runs, which we haven’t really done lie O’Brien seizing first place in the event. ever.” Part of the team’s success this year can be This all goes along with the philosophy attributed to the change in workload. This that running more, even if for just fifteen includes doing longer warm-up and cool- minutes, ultimately helps improve the team. down runs on race day, longer runs during Scauzzo thinks the team has performed practice, and going off campus more often well up to this point, and it is possibly the

Students continue to enjoy fantasy leagues

Haverford students enjoy playing fantasy football with each other. Every year, more and more schoolbased leagues are created. Students enter leagues with their friends, athletic teams, or their classmates, and plenty constantly check their teams around school. Fantasy football is the talk around multiple friend groups, and never-ending arguments relating to fantasy football always arise in the community spaces. Despite these arguments, Haverford students enjoy playing fantasy football. Every year, more and more school-based leagues are created. Fourth Form NFL superfan Aidan Boyle brings up football to anyone he can. “Fantasy football provides an easy way for students to chat with their teachers and peers about something other than school,” Boyle said. “It’s good to have friendly competition

best he has ever seen it. However, he adds that there are still areas for the team to improve. Specifically, the team’s number four through seven runners generally have similar times, which Scauzzo believes can be improved. “We still have a lot of grinding left in the season to get the results we want,” Scauzzo said.

Water polo, continued from the front page

Jake LaRocca ’22

ith the new NFL season already here, hours of teenagers’ time vanishes into watching games— not just to root for their hometown, but also for their fantasy football teams. Millions of people own multiple fantasy football teams and compete with their friends. The fantasy football process consists of someone drafting a team of different NFL players at the beginning of the season and setting lineups with their best players active that week. Each player’s weekly performance determines how many points they get and making trades throughout the season with other members of the league.

SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

and have a reason to keep in contact with friends over the weekend.” Fantasy football also provides students with an opportunity to get to know peers they have not talked to. Fantasy football, specifically trading, requires a lot of communication. Fourth Former Jake Adler thinks that fantasy football eased his arrival. “Fantasy football allows me to communicate with new people, especially when I was new to the school. It allowed me to interact with other people about interests that we both had, and it also led to forming relationships with the people in the league. Some of the main guys I am friends with now were in my first Haverford fantasy league,” Adler said.

Penn, Wilson High School, and Cumberland Valley High School. The squad went 3-0 on the day, beating Pennsylvania’s 2018 State Champion and Runner-Up. Although this is an impressive milestone, displaying the team’s dominance in the state, the team had not played North Penn or Cumberland Valley in years, so the coaches and players came into the game not knowing much about the teams they would face. Fifth Former Jack Deppen said, “Beating some of the best teams in the state definitely boosts team morale because we have made it known how great we are.” Each team’s playstyle is unique. Some teams run their offense entirely through one player, some teams distribute the ball between the seven immobile field players, and others move tirelessly throughout the game. The Fords literally had no idea what kind of players, offensive playstyle, or defensive playstyle their opponents would have. Still, they were able to capitalize on the opportunity to claim the title of the best team in Pennsylvania.

Sixth Form captain David Gobora said, “We always knew we were a good team, but after beating the top three teams in the state we truly realized our potential and how special this team really is. After playing like that, I do not think anything is stopping us. We have our eyes on November as we look to win Easterns and EA Day.” The team will continue to grind in the pool, preparing for the rest of the season. The boys have spent their Tuesday and Thursday mornings in the pool, trying to get better. Although they may wish they were sleeping, players push themselves to make this season one to remember. Sixth Former Bobby Blewett loves the energy at morning practices. “Obviously we are all tired during morning practices and wish we were still in bed. Despite that, we are all there as a team and push each other to get better,” Blewitt said. Throughout October, the Fords will compete in mostly Inter-Ac games, where they look to repeat last year’s 8-0 league record.

General issue, continued from page 9

RYAN LAROCCA ’20

Fantasy Fords compare rosters

essary because of how versatile it is, because you can roll it up in the heat and can let it down in the cold.” Sixth Former Ryan LaRocca doesn’t seem to mind, saying, “I never really wore it, so I really don’t mind not having the long-sleeve shirt.” Fifth Former Tyler Zimmer voiced concern with this year’s short-sleeve shirt as well, saying, “the maroon color looks gross.” Still a major issue with the General Issue gear is the lack of pockets on the shorts. This problem has recurred for many years, and a considerable majority of the student body is strongly in support of pockets, despite the administration’s refusal to oblige.

Ma adds that pockets “are crucial to accessibility. When I’m wearing them, it’s very convenient to have pockets to put your phone or keys into.” I must agree. Pockets truly are a necessity in this day and age, and the fact that pockets are absent is quite the scandal. With all these complaints, it is important to stay grateful that the school provides us with clothes. Often, this generosity is underappreciated. However, that doesn’t mean there is no room for improvement. Whatever your opinion on the General Issue gear, it seems that it will be a long time before we reach common ground.

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the index · sports

October 2019

Soccer Fords rebound midseason Obaida Elamin ’20

s we approach the fateful November 9, the varsity soccer team’s record stands at 6-5. Neither the coaches nor the players would say this was representative of the team’s performance. With three of the losses coming from a 1-0 score, it’s easy to see how well the team has been playing recently. The loss to Penn Charter was controversial, as there were claims of a handball on the Penn Charter offense immediately prior to the goal. This team has many more underclassmen compared to last year, but the defensive line of the team is still mostly dominated by Sixth Formers and newcomer Fourth Former Andrew Johnson. “The strength of this team is our defence,” Head coach Mr. Daniel Keefe said, “but what has been getting better over time is that we have lots of younger players who have joined in on the offensive end.” The talented defensive line is key to the team’s strength. The team usually dominates possession of the ball. Where they’ve struggled recently is converting those possessions into chances. Sixth Form defender Mitchell Hark describes the dynamic of last year’s varsity roster as “highly competitive” and that comparatively, this year’s team has less drive to win but “when we do play hard, it’s equally as good as it was last year.” “The underclassmen, to start, didn’t really understand how competitive high school soccer would be. But I think now, each underclassmen tries to work their tail off in

Papi Harris ‘23 eyes a throw in against Penn Charter, September 24, 2019 practice and prove a point, that they are good enough to play and that they deserve to be in the starting lineup,” Sixth Form goalie Will Boyes said. Boyes describes the team as “very strong technically.”

Because of the young offensive line, the team is sometimes lacking physically compared to other high school teams. Many players come from very competitive and strong club backgrounds. Because of the young offensive line, the team is sometimes lacking physically compared to other high

school teams. Boyes said, “That’s not necessarily a problem if we continue to move the ball well and play out of the back. I think that plays to our strengths.” “It took us a while to find formation and chemistry amongst those players to figure out how to score goals,” Mr. Keefe said. “In recent weeks we’ve had a lot of players who have stepped up for us offensively.” Zach Seaman, Asher Laackman, Papi Harris and Zion Georges have recently been playing strongly. In regards to the team’s expectations for the EA Day game, Hark simply said, “We’re expecting a win.” Boyes said, “Just seeing EA’s results so far this year, they’re probably a little weaker than they’ve been in the past. But there’s some-

YESHWIN SANKURATRI ’20

thing special about EA Day and playing EA, so I don’t want to underestimate them.” EA’s record is 0-1-2 while Haverford’s is 2-1-0 with the only loss being the aforementioned controversial loss to Penn Charter. The team played extremely well despite the loss with seventy percent possession after the goal and seven attempts on goal. Mr. Keefe said, “EA day is always tricky, because of the energy of the crowd, our players want to perform… harnessing that energy and making sure that our team settles down and plays the brand of soccer [that we know]. We are a possession-oriented team who creates a lot of chances and locks down defensively.” The Fords play EA for the first time at home on October 15.

76ers poised for title contention

MR. TOM STAMBAUGH

Furkan Korkmaz shoots against the Bulls in a 125–109 win, April 10, 2019 Maxim Kreider ’21

oming off a wild NBA offseason, the 76ers have set themselves up to contend for a title with key acquisitions around the board. The organization lost key swingman Jimmy Butler and starting shooting guard J.J. Redick in free agency, among other bench pieces. In response to these developments, General Manager Elton Brand used the 76ers’ considerable cap space to sign Tobias Harris and all-stars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid to maximum contract extensions, acquire 6’ 6” shooting guard Josh Richardson from the Miami Heat, and lure Al Horford away from the Boston Celtics with a $97 million, fouryear guaranteed deal. The 76ers brought back bench contributors from last year, resigning key shooter Mike Scott to a two-year contract and bringing back James Ennis III on a veteran’s minimum deal. Elton Brand also made pickups to strengthen depth at both the shooting guard

and center position, something greatly needed in the 2019 playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets (4-1, W) and Toronto Raptors (3-4, L). The organization signed point guard Trey Burke and Raul Neto, who should be able to step in for Ben Simmons if opponents scheme against him. At the center position, with the loss of Boban Marjonovic, Kyle O’Quinn should be a reliable backup center, providing load management and injury protection for Joel Embiid. Despite losing their best shooter as well as crunch-time specialist, the 76ers have cemented themselves as the second most talented team in the Eastern Conference behind the Milwaukee Bucks. The acquisitions that the 76ers made represent a change in identity for the new season. Last season, the 76ers ranked towards the back half of the league in defensive efficiency and fourth in the league in scoring. Expect that to change this year, as every player be-

sides Tobias Harris in the starting lineup is regarded as an elite defender, and every other player in the starting lineup has scary defensive traits to boast. Despite the team’s defensive upside, no player in the lineup provides three point shooting strength. However, the team still boasts solid three point shooting, with three of the players in the starting lineup (sans Embiid and Simmons) converting at above the league average rate on three-point shot attempts. It will be especially important this year for all-star point guard Ben Simmons, who has never made a three-point field goal in his NBA career, to increase his three-point makes in order to draw defenders away from the rim, increasing the offensive output of his teammates greatly. One thing is clear, though. Someone on the team must step up in pressure situations, just as Jimmy Butler did last season. It is unclear who that will be now, and the team will

most likely experience early season growing pains to determine who this player will be. According to Vegas, the 76ers are 8–1 to win the NBA championship. If they want to achieve this goal, they will have to use their elite defensive ability to become one of the best—if not the best—defensive teams in the league, shutting down opponents early and often by walling off both the rim and the three-point line. Head Coach Brett Brown will have to also work with his players to win close games down the stretch and keep pace with offensive juggernauts like the Los Angeles Clippers or Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals. There will be definite road bumps in the first several games of the season, but the Philadelphia 76ers provide a threat to any playoff contender and are ready to make a run for their first NBA Championship since 1983.

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the index · sports

October 2019

Football optimistic at the halfway mark Ryan LaRocca ’20

ith only five games into the season, Fords Football has already eclipsed its win total from last season. However, this record does not paint the true narrative, which began with an embarrassing 0–36 loss against Northeast High School on August 30. The Fords Football Twitter attributed their season-opening loss to the “8 turnovers [which] doomed the Fords after only trailing 0-6 at the half.” Despite a rough start to the season, the Fords responded with wins in three of their last four games, moving up to number #60 on Maxpreps.com’s “PA High School Football Ranking.” In addition, the team’s only loss during that period came on September 14 against LaSalle College High School (now #4 on the same list from Maxpreps.com). Sixth Form captain and quarterback Dante Perri, who performed poorly in the Northeast game, took responsibility for the team’s disgraceful loss and praised his teammates for their playing during the game.

“People in the area, even some in our community, were doubting us. We wanted to prove them wrong.” “We saw that as bad as I played throughout the game, the score remained close until the end. That’s a testament to how hard the rest of the team played and how good we can be if our players don’t get hurt,” Perri said. Sixth Former Patrick Toal, one of the team’s veteran safeties, emphasized the team’s intense motivation after the loss. “People in the area, even some in our own community, were doubting us,” Toal said. “We wanted to prove them wrong.” Rather than disbanding after their opening game’s loss, the team became even more

ETHAN POLLACK ’21

Fifth Former Geordy Holmes celebrates after a successful play closely bonded. The Fords recognized that they should not allow a single game against a strong opponent to dictate their entire season. “It was difficult to swallow the first loss, but we knew this team had too much talent and potential to throw it down the drain after one bad game,” Perri said. And, as a result, the team’s overall chemistry and trust in each other improved drastically, which showed in their recent success. “We can’t win if we don’t trust each teammate will do his part. We’ve become closer by realizing the only way we succeed is to-

gether,” Perri said. Fresh off of this hot streak, and after a bye on October 5, the Fords look ahead to the second half of their schedule against their Inter-Ac opponents. Currently, all of Fords’ Inter-Ac foes lie higher than them on the same ranking list from Maxpreps.com, with EA ranked at #22, Penn Charter at #23, Malvern at #28, SCH at #39, and GA at #53. These rankings do not discourage the Fords, who have an Inter-Ac title in sight. “Everyone truly has one goal this year: win the Inter-Ac. The only person that can

stop ourselves from achieving that goal is us,” Perri said. The team’s first Inter-Ac opponent is Springside Chestnut Hill, whom they will face on October 12. While the team’s strong chemistry will surely play a key role in leading them to victory, another factor could help the Fords to this victory. “Everyone’s starting to buy into what we have going on. The presence of the [student fan section] pumps us up. Seeing the stands filled with students makes us play harder and faster,” Toal said.

Traditions, continued from the front page “Primarily, we just want the upperclassmen to be involved with the underclassmen. The term ‘brotherhood’ gets thrown around a lot, and some kids don’t really see it, but we want to prove that it’s really there through opportunities to do fun things—like the tailgates, form competitions—that bring us together more,” Scauzzo said.

Sixth Form leaders want to create events where the student body can come together towards the shared goal of supporting a student effort—including sports, the school play, service events, or concerts. Scauzzo would like to see more engagement between the older students and the lower and middle schools. Even simple things are a place to start. “I would love to see more activities with everybody. Even if we just do some little things like sticking your head into one of the classes, the kids love it and appreciate it,” Scauzzo said. Sixth Form leaders want to create events where the student body can come together towards the shared goal of supporting a student effort—including sports, the school play, service events, or concerts. For example, the attendance at water polo and soccer matches were calculated towards a form competition in order to encourage students to support each other at games. Football tailgates and pre-game barbeques have achieved a similar effect.

While the initiative is primarily a studentdriven effort, the faculty have been backing the changes as well. “They have a lot of faith in the senior class and have high expectations. Mr. Fifer and the form deans have been of great support,” Scauzzo said. The administration established form dean positions to help student leaders create events and effectively bring them into action. “Form deans are faculty members who are dedicated to working with form leaders to both do things that are meaningful to the community, and shepherd them in creating a form identity,” Mr. Andrén said. Student reactions towards the changes have been positive, as many enjoy the time to just have fun with the community. In addition, the form competitions that take place during the assemblies bring a new sense of excitement for the weekly gatherings. “It feels like there is a really positive energy, both around the planning and execution of the events,” Mr. Andrén said. “I’ve heard from conversations that people are excited, or at least entertained. We ask you to do a lot of things, and you have a lot of things occupying your brain, so we need to take the time to relax and come together for just something fun.”

“It feels like there is a really positive energy, both around the planning and execution of the events.” One of the greatest challenges for the leaders has been gauging the interests of the students and finding the number of activities

Form champions move to the Oreo challenge finals, October 3rd, 2019

the students want. “We want to do all this stuff, but sometimes we think too far about what everybody else wants. Gauging the limit of what guys want is challenging,” Scauzzo said. Upperclassmen have the responsibility of making sure the underclassmen feel as though they are a part of the community. “You are the torchbearers of the culture at Haverford. So goes your culture, so goes the

SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

Upper School’s culture, and, to an extent, so goes the school’s culture because the younger guys pick up on the cues of the older guys,” Mr. Andrén said. For how these events and new traditions are planning to pass on, Scauzzo does not have a clear answer yet. “We are still sort of feeling our way through our job,” Scauzzo said. “Right now we’re kind of living in the moment.”

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October 2019

arts Skills, swords sharpen in anticipation of The Three Musketeers Ryan Rodack ’22

n November 15–17, the theater program will offer The Three Musketeers in Centennial Hall. The cast is comprised of high school students from Haverford and other local schools, including Baldwin and Agnes Irwin. The show portrays a young man’s journey as he travels to Paris and joins the Musketeers of the Guard. One of the most entertaining facets of the show is sword fighting. Director Mr. Darren Hengst must teach over twenty actors how to sword fight properly and safely. “I have to quickly identify the range of natural talent. Then, it is really about going step by step and identifying the skills,” Mr. Hengst said. “The guys who are playing leads are all very skilled and pick up moves very quickly. The most athletic person is not always the best sword fighter.” Fourth Form actor Jake LaRocca said, “Remembering the routines for sword fighting certainly poses a challenge. It all kind of feels awkward. Keeping that in mind, I am

still new at it, and with more practice, I’m sure I will improve.” Apart from sword fighting, the show is full of other forms of entertainment. “The transitions are very quick from scene to scene and [the show] is a very fast-paced story,” Mr. Hengst said. “There is a lot of humor as well. When we read through it, we were laughing the whole night, which was nice.” “With hints of comedy and references to history, I recommend [that] everyone come see the classic production of The Three Muskateers,” said Fourth Former Nick Pante, who plays Rochefort. The play’s lead, Fifth Former Drew Loughnane, who plays D’artagnan, said, “The complexity of the cast, the intrigue of the show, and the immense amounts of hard work are all great reasons to come out and [show] support.” Mr. Hengst said, “It is action-packed, very funny, and it’s going to highlight a lot of our guys.”

DC experiments with dark Joker Matthew Schwartz ’21

ot many movies have caused quite as much controversy as Todd Phillips’ Joker, the latest installment in DC’s lineup of new superhero movies that do not follow the typical cinematic universe of the recent Marvel films. After debuting and subsequently winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, Joker has gained a lot of attention and criticism in its ability to incite possible violent attacks at screenings of the film. Starring Joaquin Phoenix in a role that might give him one more chance at an Oscar win, Joker does its best to give an appearance of mystery and deeper meaning, but gets stuck with a surface-level meanings and a character who, without his previous incarnations both in comics and on the big screen, is nothing more than a man crazed and off his medication. Towards the end of the film, Phoenix’s character Arthur Fleck, at this point in the film referred to as “Joker,” makes a point that while his clown costume has become the symbol behind Gotham’s revolt against the establishment, he himself has no political opinions towards what is happening.

Joker gives a glimpse of a future where comic book movies do not have to contain spandex, a disposable villain, and large-scale CGI fights.

Kwaku Adobofour ’20 (right) engaging in swordplay in 2017’s Henry V

MS. DAWN BLAKE

Phillips has set up a perfect moment for Joker to delve into the chaos of the city, but instead shifts the blame of Joker’s demise onto his environment and not the deteriorating mind of the character. Phoenix gives an

MATTHEW SCHWARTZ ’21

Joker playing at the Narberth Theater

amazing, potentially Oscar-worthy performance, but his inability to connect with the outside world hurts the depth of the movie as a whole. Joker also relies heavily upon tropes from movie classics such as Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, undermining its originality and, for any moviegoer who has watched either of those two films, gives a pretty good indication of where the plot is going. As DC continuing to distance itself from the disasters of Justice League and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Joker gives a glimpse of a future where comic book movies do not have to contain spandex, a disposable villain, and large-scale CGI fights. It will be exciting to see the future projects this movie inspires as studios become more comfortable adapting their high-profile intellectual property in experimental ways.

Mr. Fink takes his talents to Mexico Jonny Sonnenfeld ’20

nyone who attended Haverford in lower school will instantly recognize the playful personality and friendly smile of art teacher Mr. Antonio Fink. Mr. Fink began teaching at Haverford in the fall of 2002. Before teaching here, Mr. Fink was a resident artist at the Clay Studio, a nonprofit organization in Philadelphia that promotes ceramic art. He was among twelve resident artists awarded a spot. During his residency Mr. Fink had his first child and decided it was time for some stability. He chose to pursue a Masters’ degree in Art at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University. Mr. Fink said, “I got my Master’s degree so I could be ‘hirable.’” Sure enough, he was soon introduced to our community by middle school language teacher Dr. Gerhard Reich and secured a job as an art teacher. “I love being the first to teach art to the boys,” Mr. Fink said. “I feel honored to be their introduction to the artistic experience. I feel responsible for teaching sound fundamentals and instilling a love for art.” Mr. Fink was born in Mexico City, Mexico, to a Mexican father and American mother. “I remember taking this field trip to the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City. At that age, you can be fairly impressed easily,” Mr. Fink said. “But I went to this Palace of Fine Arts, and I was blown away by the

murals of the mural artists of the 1930s in Mexico. Coincidentally, there was a show of Impressionist painters as well. I saw all that in the same day and was very inspired by it.” After playing tennis most of his youth, Mr. Fink became a highly-ranked tennis player in high school in Mexico. His mother had always insisted that Mr. Fink and his brother attend college in the United States, so he began reaching out to tennis coaches at universities. He was ultimately granted a full scholarship at Pan American University in Texas, which hosts a Division-I tennis team. Mr. Fink, who continued to pursue his career as a professional ceramic artist while

teaching and coaching tennis at Haverford, will return to Mexico this February to show his work in Mexico City. The recurring event, to be held next year in Mexico City, called “Bada,” was started by a woman in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Typically, art galleries take on 40%-60% on each sale of an artist’s work at their gallery. Sometimes artists sell their work directly to customers without paying a commission to a gallery. Artists from all over submit their portfolios, and, if accepted, pay a fee for space in the venue. For the upcoming Mexico City event, Mexican muralist Raphael Cauto will serve

Mr. Antonio Fink in his lower school art room

as the featured artist. He is expected to draw a large crowd. Mr. Fink works primarily with clay— specifically tiles and pots—as well as other media. Because transportation of this type of work involves complications and risks, he has decided to take paintings on unstretched canvas that can be rolled up for transportation, as well as silk screen and block prints. About ten years out from his last art showing in Mexico, Mr. Fink is excited to return to Mexico City and have an opportunity to show his work in the city of his birth.

SEBASTIAN BILASH ’20

the index · arts

Page 20

October 2019

Artist of the issue: Drew Paradis Daniel Chow ’20

he Visual Art Foundations class has given rise to many fantastic artists, sparking passion in students who otherwise were just looking to fill their art credit. Sixth Former Drew Paradis, one of Haverford’s finest 3D designers and woodworkers, discovered his passion in Foundations during his Third Form year. Although encouraged by his parents to take theater, Paradis decided to take studio art instead. Enjoying Mr. Ressler’s class, he decided to continue taking similar 3D art classes during his sophomore year. Paradis has loved it ever since, now working mainly with 3D modeling and design, woodworking, and product prototyping — anything to do with “maker culture,” a culture based around the creation of new devices, tinkering, engineering, and the learning and sharing of practical skills. Most of Paradis’s works are physical creations, ranging from large woodworking creations to 3D printed trinkets, and even custom resin tool parts in between. “I love experimenting in a lot of different styles,” Paradis said. “I like getting whatever skills I can under my belt. A lot of my projects tend to take me out of my comfort zone, and it’s important to learn all the new skills that you can.” Some of his most challenging works often turn out to be his proudest ones. Last year, Paradis created a 3D Porsche replica steering wheel mold and cast. The project covered a wide spectrum of skills, ranging from creating a CAD (computer-aided design) model with help from area professionals, printing, sanding, and priming the model, making a silicone mold and plaster master-mold, to casting the wheel with plaster with the sixpart mold. “There were a ton of problems along the way I had to work really hard to resolve and find a creative way around. It was probably my toughest project and the one that took the most new skills and grind to finish,” Paradis said. Currently, Paradis is working on preparing a portfolio to apply to some art schools and is experimenting with different projects.

He has given away most of his works as gifts to his grandparents. “This past box that I just made, it’s gonna go to my grandfather. I’ve made a few cutting boards that have gone to various grandparents as well,” Paradis said. “Just recently, I made a video about myself making a wooden box because I spend my time on YouTube watching other people make things,” said Paradis. “I figured I’d give it a go, making a video. And it was a good learning experience. I got to learn how to do some editing, which I don’t usually do.” “I get more out of the process of making them than the actual turnout. Along the way, I pick up so many new things that I can use towards future projects. That’s the valuable thing in it all, instead of just the physical outcome itself,” Paradis said. This summer, he completed a two-week program at the University of Michigan studying digital fabrication. “I was able to work with laser cutters, CNCs [Computer Numeric Control], and 3D printers, those kinds of things,” Paradis said. “It might be going outside of the Upper School Office, so stay tuned for that.” Outside of school, he hones in on his

computer skills with 3D modeling. Many of his creations are based on functional designs. “Anytime I’m sitting around, I’m like oh, I wish I had something that would hold my wallet and keys for example. I try to tackle that problem with a design mentality and try to model something to solve the issue,” Paradis said.

Ever since taking his first art class, art and design have become an important part of Paradis’ life. With 3D design, he utilizes CAD through a program called Fusion 360, made by the company Autodesk, which is free for students. “I encourage people to go try it out,” said Paradis. “I got into the 3D printing thing one day — I was just kind of intrigued by it. I went on Amazon, looking at 3D printers, and then I somehow convinced my parents to get me one.” Paradis’s 3D modeling skills have been mainly self-taught. With the right software and tools, he began to learn online, through the vast amount of guides and tutorials from the maker community. “I have been using it mainly as a tool to plan out projects that I make in wood,” said Paradis. “So I plan out the whole thing in the computer, and then I can separate it into pieces, and I can manage everything that I need to do and kind of break it down step by step.” Although he is often an independent learner, many of his skills are not self-taught, including woodworking, ceramics, and artistic design. Paradis is extremely grateful for the mentorship of his art teachers. “Mr. Ressler, Mr. Raeder, Mr. Fox, they have really got me through all my projects here. They try to have me do any work that I can, but whenever I get stuck, they’re always there to help me through it or lend their advice,” Paradis said. “But they really push students to figure things out on their own and learn through the creative process.” Paradis has recently created an Instagram page for his art under the handle @_apdesign_. Paradis said, “I wanted someplace to put all of my art so I can kind of track my progress. It hasn’t taken off yet, but I’m still posting up there and a few people check in on it. You can see my progress and some of my projects, how they went, and the turnout.” He has given away most of his works as gifts to his grandparents. “This past box that I just made, it’s gonna go to my grandfather. I’ve made a few cutting boards that have gone to various grandparents as well,” Paradis said. “A lot of the times, for example, I personally don’t really have a use for a cutting board — I don’t do much cooking — so I might as well give one back to them.” As of now, Paradis plans on studying industrial design, which focuses on product design and development. “But I also have a huge car obsession, so if I could get into the automotive design world, something like that, that would be amazing,” Paradis said. Ever since taking his first art class, art and design have become an important part of Paradis’ life. “I feel like it might have come from my grandfather and my dad — they are both engineers,” said Paradis. “Although before art, I was always wondering how things are made. But now, like every car that passes me on the street, every product I see, I’m always thinking about the steps that they went through to make it, the design choices that they made, how it fits ergonomically, and all that kind of stuff.”

DREW PARADIS ’20